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Calanque de l'Eissadon

Novembre 2021

With its picture-postcard scenery, this majestic cove surrounded by jagged cliffs plunging into turquoise Mediterranean waters is reminiscent of a desert island paradise… In fact, it is Provence’s most remote “calanque”, or fjord. You can reach it by boat, stand-up paddleboard or kayak!

Published on 20 January 2022

A Mediterranean escape

Let’s head to CalanquesNational Park to discover one of the seven marvels of Provence: Calanque de l’Eissadon. Located near Marseille, between Calanque de l’Oule and Calanque du Devenson, this fjord constitutes the remotest section of the Massif du Puget hills. Discover this natural jewel at the gateway to Marseille while you’re visiting the picturesque seaside resort of Cassis. To get there, hikers will need to trade their walking shoes for flippers, because the fjord can only be reached by sea! One of our best-kept secrets, it is a genuine window onto the Mediterranean. You can admire Calanque de l’Eissadon from Col de l’Eissadon pass, which offers a stunning viewpoint over the fjord, or from its tip extending into the sea, also boasting spectacular panoramic vistas over the big blue! Gaze out over the horizon and you’ll catch sight of the Falaises du Devenson, a string of cliffs stretching all the way to the fjords of Morgiou and Sormiou. Eissadon is characterized by its karst relief, formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks. The needle-shaped Aiguille de l’Eissadon rock was brought to fame thanks to the photographic works of mountaineer Gaston Rébuffat, from Marseille. And if you’ve read Maurice Blanc’s detective novels on the adventures of Arsène Lupin, you’ve probably already pictured it in your mind. The shores of Provence have plenty of stories to tell…

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An adventure playground!

If you enjoy hiking and exotic bathing venues, this gorgeous site could well become your new playground. A trail leads from Col la Gardiole car park to Col de l’Eissadon pass, boasting a breathtaking view over the fjord. This 10 km walk at an altitude of 260 metres features 400 metres of uphill and downhill inclines and lasts around 90 minutes. It’s pretty challenging, but your efforts are richly rewarded at the end. Meanwhile, thrills, spills and rock-climbing aficionados will love trying their hand at Eissadon’s climbing routes, offering a totally spectacular, head-spinning experience over the Med. Fancy paddling? Simply climb aboard a kayak and slide through the turquoise waters of Calanque de l’Eissadon for a taste of heaven… You’ll almost certainly want to venture into the sea tunnel crossing Aiguille de l’Eissadon: this magnificent needle-shaped, rock resembles a portal to another world.

Christian ChazotAmbassador

“Calanque de l’Eissadon is lesser-known than its more famous peers such as Port Pin, En Vau or Sugiton because it’s more remote. Wedged between the cliffs of Calanque de l’Oule and Calanque du Devenson, it’s a genuine little paradise on Earth! A hiking trail crosses the top of the fjord, unveiling two holes pierced in the cliff, nicknamed the “Windows of Eissadon”, but if you want to reach the bottom of the fjord and admire the fault crossing the Aiguille de l’Eissadon needle, you’ve got to be a climbing descent pro: you’ll need 2 ropes to help you get all the way down.

You can also access the fjord by kayak or stand-up paddleboard from Cassis, which is easier for people who aren’t used to long hikes or don’t fancy struggling down rocks. Even so, you have to paddle for quite a while. Once you reach the fjord, you can go through the fault in the needle in your kayak or stand-up paddleboard, or swim across if you’re on foot – it’s truly fabulous. The best times of year are definitely spring or autumn, because there are often quite a few kayaks around in summer come specially to paddle through the fault.”

Christian Chazot “chris7413”